Help my Anenome

First time posting but please, please someone help, i've had my tank for about 6 months now and just had fish, i bought a Anemone for my two clowns on the weekend and it doesn't seem happy! When the lights are on it hides it's self under a rock but when the lights go out it comes out and sit's it's self on a rock. What's wrong with it? I would hate for it to be unhappy :'(

im trying to research it for you -- do you know what specifc kind you have?

Click to expand...

Cheers, from what i can find out it's a "Entacmaea quadricolor, Bulb, bubble, bubble-tipped"

I've spoken to the shop where i got it and they say it's strange behavior but will just be coincidence and nothing to do with the light, i disagree it run's and hides when the light comes on and comes back out when the light is off. He also said that it wouldn't do anything that would endanger it's self, i.e. insufficient light, again i disagree but im no expert?

"Entacmaea quadricolor, Bulb, bubble, bubble-tipped, maroon anemone Recently obtained individuals will usually have unmistakable swollen ends on the tips of their tentacles. Specimens in captivity will often lose their bubble-tips for periods of time and just have long straight tentacles. The tentacles usually have a green color especially when exposed to only actinic light. The tentacles may also have a frosty white ring around the tip. The base is often rusty-red but may also be purple or just tan. The Rose anemone is a color variation of this anemone.

Good Points- Normal reef lighting is enough (above 4 watts per gal.) for this type of anemone and may be more than enough. Nitrate levels below 20 ppm are preferred. Small ones may reproduce asexually in your aquarium by dividing into two smaller anemones. Their sting is rather weak and won't harm your other fish. They are accepted by Clarki-type clowns, all the different tomato-type clowns, maroon clowns and sometimes, although very rarely, percula and ocellaris clowns.

Bad Points- These anemones tend to wander around the tank more than others, sometimes causing their own deaths from lack of light or being sucked through a powerhead. They like to have their foot shaded inside a crevice in the rock or coral with their tentacles in the light. This preference might be met by placing a short piece of PVC pipe, sized to the anemone, where you want the anemone to stay and putting its base into the pipe. They seem to be sensitive to being shipped. Make sure the one you pick out has a tight mouth and is firmly attached to something in the dealers tank. Any anemone that is not attached to something in the dealers tank is probably not healthy. In addition, when the dealer tries to remove the anemone from the tank the anemone should show some type of reaction, usually they contract. "

Been a few days now and been keeping an eye on it, it's still running and hidding when the lights are on and as soon as the light goes off it comes out and sits on a rock, is this normal behvour? everything i've looked into and the fish shop say's the lighting is good for it. It looks health when it comes out. Also was hoping that it would be a home for my Clowns but they have not been near it yet, any more advise or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Ok from the start understand I know nothing about salt watr fish But... almost sounds like it is used to subdued lighting. Whats its normal habitat like? Carol

Click to expand...

Was just in a tank with a few others, told by the fish shop that they use the same lights, got my lights from them the week previous.

Ok just found this and there are lots of other statements like this one;

Anemones Simply put, amemones should not be kept by beginners (sorry folks). They all require very strong lighting and excellent water conditions. Do not believe a fish store guy that tells you otherwise. Unless you are willing to invest a lot of money in proper lighting, do not try to keep an anemone.

So based on that my lighting should not be to strong for it as the have MH lights a lot of the time, granted mine never has as the fish shop does not have them.

Water are your basic water parameters? Ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, pH, specific gravity? Do they have access to any shaded crevices that would allow them to attach? Was it attached to any rock in the dealer's tank?

Assuming your water parameters are ok, I would try some minor rearranging of the rock work that would provide a shaded crevice for them to attach to. It's my understanding that if they move around alot they are not happy with the setup.